Your giant corporations can be a little slow to respond to trends, but sometimes they surprise you. Yamaha started teasing the idea of bringing back its old SR400 a couple years ago, and now they’ve gone ahead and done it. This is not a modern interpretation of the old bike, this is the actual old bike it’s been building and selling in other markets since the ’70s – though it does have modern fuel injection and a charcoal canister to meet current emissions requirements.

In fact, it was the SR500 that was imported to the U.S. beginning in 1978 – a longer-stroke version of the 400cc model Yamaha’s been selling in Japan ever since, where tiered licensing keeps the 500 a 400. (Don’t be surprised to see a GYT-R 500 kit from Yamaha.) Speaking of hop-ups, a big motivation for re-importing the SR is that the old two-valve Yamaha thumper is in great demand among custom builders. A quick stop at Venice, California’s, Deus ex Machina outlet on the new SR yesterday raised quite a few hepcat eyebrows among the latte-sipping motorati, and the Deus guys asked us to feel free to crash as many new SRs as possible so as to provide donor motors ASAP – which are hard to come by in the U.S. In the ’70s, big Japanese four-cylinders were all the rage among us just-blossoming baby boomers.

Yamaha’s Product Planning guy Derek Brooks used to flat-track an SR back in the Pleistocene.

Anyway, here the thing is, all 384 pounds of it, rolling on 18-inch wire wheels and tube-filled Bridgestone Battlax tires, for the low low price of $5,990. Yamaha’s people are throwing out phrases like mechanical honesty and elemental beauty to spin the SR, and they may be onto something. Honda’s CB500s fall into roughly the same price range and offer considerably more performance, but if you’re looking for something with no plastic, then welcome back to 1978. Aside from the charcoal canister, which really is hideous, the rest of the SR is real steel, from the tip of its chrome front fender to the back of the grab rail out back, and everything in between: gas tank, centerstand, helmet lock and petcock included. (The petcock feeds the electric fuel pump that feeds the EFI. You get a petcock and a low-fuel light. You can’t run out of gas.) The tank holds 3.2 gallons, and Yamaha says you can expect 66 mpg.

The 1970s are not a bad place to visit, really. In stock form, the thumper has enough stick to put the hurt on automotive traffic, and it will get you up to 80 mph escape velocity, maybe a little more, given a long-enough straight; short freeway hops are not out of the question. At 80 mph indicated and about 6000 rpm, there’s quite a bit of vibration reminding you of your authentic retro-ness through all contact points. Some people are sensitive to that, some don’t much mind. Despite the absence of a counterbalancer, the SR is still way smoother than some vintage Singles we’ve ridden, ones that feel like you’re holding a downed power cable. At 60-65 mph, the SR is quite serene.

It’s 1978 all over again. I think you could sell all the parts to the vintage nuts on eBay and turn a profit.

The five-speed gearbox and chain final-drive get the job done efficiently and with little lash, and in general, you get the idea Yamaha has been making very nice motorcycles for many years. It has been. All controls work smoothly. Clutch pull is light, the front brake is one of the few things that did get upgraded, and it offers really good power and feel. The 35mm damper-rod fork strokes through 5.9 inches of travel; the rear shocks give you 4.1 inches of old-school low-tech preload-adjustable wheel travel, and none of it sucks in the least.

The funnest retro part is there’s no electric starter: you will kick the SR to life unless you happen to be parked downhill. I didn’t try a run-and-bump, but that could work too. Electronic fuel injection is humankind’s greatest invention in my lifetime, and even the lightweight lady in the group I was with had no trouble booting the SR to life. You do have to learn the drill with the compression release, but once you do, the 87mm piston doesn’t require a lot of persuasion, though it’s so quiet it can be hard to tell if it fired or not when you’re wearing earplugs. My bike usually started on the first kick. Don’t get me started about getting my old SRX-6 started. Let’s not discuss the XR400 mouldering outside my back door right now. By the time you get either of them kickstarted, you’re too tired to ride. Let’s change the subject.

The SR is a perfectly fun little bike to ride, especially on a gorgeous August afternoon on the SoCal coast, up through Santa Monica, onto PCH and right up into the twisty canyons in the Malibu mountains.

Takes you right back to the days when guys would use light bikes like the SR to give fits to bigger bikes with power they couldn’t use in the tight stuff. The SR’s not so fast on the way up the mountain, but it’s fun to wring its chicken neck, and it’s like a bicycle coming back down on its skinny little tires. In coastal towns where parking’s tough and the streets are crowded with aspiring actresses walking their dogs in between waitressing shifts, a cheap little bike like the SR is just the thing for coming over all casually cool, a nice little motorcycle that doesn’t call all the attention to itself and doesn’t mind sleeping on the street. Did Marlon Brando’s Triumph have an electric starter? Hell no.

All roads in SoCal lead to lane-splitting eventually, and not many bikes are going to be better at it than the skinny little SR.

I’d say, if you want one, there’s no good reason not to get one. The SR is a modernized slice of high-quality Japanese authentic motorcycle history, and they’re already in dealers if you can find one. Yamaha says it’s having to ramp up production to meet demand. Here’s to fun, cheap little bikes. And also to the other 12 models Yamaha says are on the way. Hooo!

Jeff Pahlegyi Customs built this one in a week, we’re told. The old SR thumper is the basis for many a cool rod.

+ Highs

Kickstart-only will keep all but the inner circle from borrowing it

It’s a skinny waif that will be forever indebted and loyal to you

All the bugs were worked out like 20 years ago, not that there were any

lots of aftermarket support for these. Bore is same, so I think you get to 500cc with just a new crank and maybe a new rod. Which will also increase compression since you’re now squeezing 500cc into same combustion chamber…

Oslo Norway

What John said, and you can squeeze a lot of performance out of these motors relatively cheaply compared to multis…It’s running really low compression, which yeah, I get it, makes it user friendly and easy to start and all that. But it can be done. You can go full on crazy with these things if you are so inclined.

They’re great bikes. In it’s present form here as presented it seems very user friendly for a new rider or an urban commuter. You want to go full on nuts? Full on nuts can be done…We may lose John’s precious FI in the process but full on nuts is more than doable…

I’m probably not a good one to ask, I throw around nickles like they are manhole covers…

Except for bike money, which isn’t like real money…

rockidr4

See, I had convinced myself that even though I liked the bike it was just too overpriced and now it seems like if it’s as reliable as people are saying and easy enough to get more performance out of I might actually be more interested in paying a little extra for a bike I can keep around for a long time.

Oslo Norway

I can understand where you are coming from, I can see that…And I think that is a problem they may run into. Big singles have never been an easy sell in this country as it is. I dunno.

I have a soft spot for ’em, but like I said I’m probably not a good one to ask. Cripes, I have 5 race bikes and two street bikes laying around this joint, how rational is that?

To the right person? Well? 6K? I guess, I dunno. It would be kind of curious to compare and contrast, I picked up a pristine first year SR500 last year and then went bananas buying aftermarket parts to get it like I want it. If I were to add up the sum total of that endeavor I’d be curious to see what the final tally would be.

Here, by way of comparison…As you can see, I hardly qualify as a rational actor in these situations…

You’re making the case for the SR seem stronger and stronger to me. I think I’ve actually read this article before, and I really like the sound of a bike.

I’m actually totally fine with a big single. Most of my riding is at 45 MPH and below, I just need something that is enjoyable at those speeds, and capable of doing highway speeds if need be. I’m a little worried about vibrations, yeah, but I’m not looking for a touring bike right now. I can live with something with a little bit of buzz to it, especially if the SR is tolerable, or even endearing.

Oslo Norway

Oh man, it is PERFECT for that! Vibration is not an issue…If it is a problem for you buy the big boy grips and go that route…I know a lot of guys that have done that, and they work well. I like tiny grips and really the vibration isn’t an issue. Again though, I may not be the best source to consult on these matters, I have an FT500 in the basement with a Cal-Fab swingarm on it and Dymags, so I’m not right in the head to start with…

DickRuble

If a big single is your cup of tea, then get a used MZ skorpion. 660cc yamaha 5 valves engine, plenty of torque, and top shelf components. A yellow “cup” version went for $1600 on craigslist in my neck of the woods. It had 1600 miles on it.

spydie

you won’t even notice the vibration, but you’ll see it in the mirrors.

Drum brakes on the rear, though. That’s just a little to ‘authentic’ for me.

Robert Spinello

The rear disc on my ’79 model had a tendency to lock up. That’s the reason the drum has been used since 1980.

Bestman77

The rear disk on my R1,R6, warrior 1700, and wife’s ninja 250 never ever locked up, there is a reason why all modern bikes AND cars switched to disk brakes, just ’cause they screwed it up on a certain year and model doesn’t mean they stick drum brakes on a 2015 model.

spydie

The rear drum is probably the best brake in the world. You have to try it to appreciate it. All the test reports say there’s no need for a disc in the rear with that great drum brake yamaha has.

DickRuble

Cool little bike. They still seem to sell like hotcakes despite a steep price. $3500 is probably what it’s worth.

spydie

it’s worth every penny of the $5400 I paid for mine. What can you buy for $3500? Not even a Vespa!

Buzz

I don’t know what brooding hipsters do when they get excited but we’re about to find out.

Old MOron

If I didn’t already have my beloved DR-Z 400SM, I’d be real interested in one of these.

NorthShoreRider

Fun article. Fun looking bike! I hope they sell a ton of these. Small bikes are good for the future of our sport!

Chris_in_Kalifornia

Nice bike. Great looks, I don’t care about the charcoal canister, I can’t see it when I’m riding. IT’S GOT A REAL PASSENGER SEAT!!! Put an electric starter on it and I’m there. Sorry guys I have arthritis in my hips, not buying a kickstart bike. Nice to have that extra 100cc too. Other nice things I’d pay a bit more for: belt drive, cast wheels and a back rack. Hmmm. Wonder how much I can get a used KLR650 for and fix it the way I want it.

Fuel injection, electric start, goes well over 100mph, air cooled. It’s a bit pricier than this here Yamaha, but it’s also quite a bit better.

Robert Spinello

Why would I by looking at a 1000 cc motorcycle if I’m interested in this one. thanks anyway.

http://norimek.com/blog Robert C. Barth

Not sure what presumptions you may have about the engine size, but it’s only 88hp, quite thin, light(ish) (540lbs), gets over 50mpg, and is very much like the old CB750’s and kind of like the old NIghthawks. The weight just isn’t noticeable in any way, IMO. Just putting it out there in case you hadn’t seen it, since it fills pretty much all of the criteria you mentioned. It’s unlikely you’re going to find a bike < 500cc's that can comfortably cruise at 80+mph.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

Wrong guy. Spinello wasn’t the guy pining for the old Nighthawk.

Reid

Hipster rubbish.

Steve C

Glad to see this back, I had a SR500 about ten years ago, when you could pick one up for $500. Good thing they now kick start easily , my SR was pretty good once you learned the drill, but somedays, usually a hot humid August afternoon it would turn you into a sweaty heap trying to get it to start.

Robert Spinello

To the commenters posting negative comments -.The bike is produced in limited numbers. That’s the way Yamaha has been doing this model for 36 years in Japan. They could care less whether you buy it or not. It’s not made for you. And Yamaha had to increase production to keep up with demand since it has returned to Europe, and the US. so don’t count on getting a leftover if you change your tone. They are selling at MSRP.

spydie

Actually they are not selling at MSRP everywhere. I know several dealers that got in their allotment of THREE last July and still have them all. You can get one for about $5400… I just bought mine for that amount. I think this will be a one-year bike in the USA (I hope I’m wrong). Retro bikes just don’t sell well here (as per the Kawa W650 which I wish I’d never gotten rid of).

John Mosey

I’ve noticed the price come down too. Maybe 5K for a used one you think?

Robert Spinello

Dealer cost is $5500. (MSRP $5990) expect to pay a prep fee if you buy the bike at cost ..Oh well you’re back up to $5800.

Robert Spinello

To the commenters posting negative comments -.The bike is produced in limited numbers. That’s the way Yamaha has been doing this model for 36 years in Japan. They could care less whether you buy it or not. It’s not made for you. And Yamaha had to increase production to keep up with demand since it has returned to Europe, and the US, so don’t count on getting a leftover with a rebate if you change your mind. . They are selling at MSRP

huskyfrk

you need to adjust the exhaust valve on your SRX-600. that is why it is hard to start, and go through the carbs , re sync them. You won’t believe how well mine runs, w only a n exhaust and air filter . along w rejecting. this 400 needs to b a full 500 . nice article. Keep up the good work

SRMark

Got to ride one the other day. A lot tighter and smoother than the ’78 sitting in my garage! Starts the same. No way this will sell well enough to last more than a year or two. I’ll wait a year or so and get an unused used one. Sure will be nice to have a fresh supply of new parts for the ’78 too. They’ll look good parked next to each other.

schizuki

The bike is nice, but the hipster jeans tucked into the brown engineer boots is a disaster.

Born to Ride

I assumed that was the woman in the group.

Craig Hoffman

The SR500 had an MSRP of $1,898 in 1980. Adjusted for inflation, the price now should be $5,500 according to a handy inflation calculator I found.

Seeing how it does have improvements to the brakes and FI, the $5,990 price seems relatively fair. My initial reaction was that the price is about $1,000 too high. The truth is our money really is worth a hell of a lot less than it used to be

I suppose the 400 engine size is a bummer, but if it runs smoother with the shorter stroke, it may be worth it. It is not like this bike is about speed and power anyway.

John Mosey

One passed my on the parkway (I15 in CT) this am. I was doing 65 and he flew past doing probably just over 70mph. From the back it looked tiny like a Honda 250 maybe smaller. Really nice looking but the rider looked over 6′ and small for the bike.

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